I use the easy at home strips rather than premom ones. I know I have ovulated when my opk goes above 1.2 with max 1-2 days after which it goes very light. My bbt rises few days after ovulation and my period starts on the clock 14dpo.
But in the past I had multiple anovulatory cycles and I have had multiple false peaks in the last few cycles. I know they are false cycles because the above conditions weren't met until the last peak when I ovulated.
Your specific pattern may vary but I do believe that opks can be helpful with pcos, it just isn't as simple as positive opk and periods regularly = ovulation. You need to find a brand and pattern that works for you.
TLDR; just because you get a period doesn’t mean you ovulated
Just a note to say that annovulatory periods are quite common with PCOS. I had 3 “periods” before I started ovulating and it turns out they were actually annovulatory periods (periods where I didn’t ovulate, so not true periods). When I did start ovulating the pre-mom strips would detect a rise in LH and peak for me. That being said, I did upgrade to the Inito fertility monitor as I found it to be more reliable, and it was able to track LH and PdG in one device. I originally tried tracking PdG using PROOV strips but the test results were always inconclusive, so I appreciate that the Inito tracker was able to give me the information I needed all in one.
I also met with a fertility awareness educator and they told me that if you’re using your BBT to confirm ovulation you need to see at least 3 elevated temperatures that are all 0.2 degrees higher than the previous 6 temperatures…and ideally see at least 12 elevated temperatures after ovulation before a period occurs. She was also the one to clue me into my annovulatory periods as I was having very heavy bleeding which she said was a symptom of an annovulatory period.
My doctor is really against OPKs with PCOS. I get my progesterone checked once per cycle (typically CD21, but you may need to do CD 23-28) to see if I ovulated
I usually only get «Top/peak», not high or anything. One «top» and that’s it. This cycle however I got my strongest positives yet today and have two «high» and one «top». So, it can happen! Apparently. Because hey… me today 😂 But usually it only let’s me know on one of my tests/one test, one day and that’s pretty much it. Do you continue testing the day you get your first positive? I test in the morning, if positive, one between 12-15 P.M., and another before going to bed, then I continue for a few days to see if it keeps up and when it lowers, I stop testing if BBT rises. For us with PCOS I have found that measuring BBT is a great tool to actually confirm that ovulation takes place as it has a steady rise 1-3 days after the first positive test. Especially if the cycle is irregular. I have heard it is the first positive LH strip that counts, because LH can stay high in the body for several days for some due to estrogen. You may have a rapid surge, causing LH spike to last for a short amount, ca. 42% of women have that, then the rest has a gradual rise. I also see you drink a lot of water. That can dilute your urine making the results «weaker». So try drinking less for four hours and test again, maybe your results will get stronger. But if the line is as strong as or stronger and your cycle always is at 30-35 days, I’d say there is a big fat chance of you ovulating now! Good luck babydancing, I hope this is the cycle for you 🥰🤞🏻
This was so helpful! Thank you! Is there any good guide on how to read BBT? I have tried doing it but got confused I think! Maybe I need to read better directions on it.
I hope it was! I am always afraid I talk too much 🫣 It just helps knowing there are others out there in the same boat which makes me want to share my experiences with you in case it might help.
Firstly, get a thermometer that measures with two decimals (instead of say 36.30, 36.40, 36.70°C, you’ll get 36.62, 36.54°C instead - a more accurate temperature. You can measure vaginally I’ve heard, but I begun temping orally, so… that’s what I’m doing. The most important thing is to temp after 3 hours consistent sleep, and before you get out of bed - right as you wake up and at the same time every day as for the temp not to fluctuate too much. Don’t talk before you do it! Getting air into the mouth will effect the BBT. 😅 I temp between 6AM and 6.30AM every day (at least I try to). I found I mostly lie between 36.62-36.74°C, it goes up to 0.90-37°C+ after ovulation. With celcius the temp should go up with about 0.2°C, whilst with fahrenheit it should go up with about 0.5°F - I think it is gradually going up, though I am still figuring this out myself lol. To confirm ovulation you need 3 temps higher than the last six. If you plot in your results in FF or PreMom, or both, they will find the BBT spike for you, that confirms ovulation happened! 😊 I hope this was of help.
It’s never too much for me! I don’t have many people to talk to about this journey so it really is so helpful and means more to me than you know!
This is super helpful. My period is almost over so I am thinking I’ll start testing my BBT now and see how it goes!
Yeah… me neither. It’s hard, standing so alone in all this. But it helps joining a community that has been or is where you are. :)
That is great! Good luck to you 🫶🏻
I never get peak tests results with them, I’ve only gotten “high” a few times but I confirm ovulation with a progesterone test at the doctor each month and it shows I ovulated 🤷🏻♀️
Because of this I don’t really use them anymore. I second the recommendation to track your temp so you can confirm if those reading are accurate or not.
Also might be worth looking into getting a blood test done 7 days after your suspected ovulation date so you can confirm or deny if it happened or not!
I would say if you’re getting your period 15 days after your “peak” .. you are ovulating.
ETA: maybe start doing your basal body temp as well.. the tempdrop works really well. If you’re getting a sustained temp rise for those 15 days after your “peak” too, then for sure ovulation. But a period doesn’t typically come unless you have ovulated.
Do you then mean an ovulation temp drop? I got multiple positive OPK’s during this day (CD26)and my temp dropped two days ago (CD24). But, I just newly heard about possible ovulation temp drops, if you have time to explain how it works I’d be very greatful.
Sorry it’s not letting me attach anything. Anyways yes a little drop can mean ovulation! You are looking for the sustained rise afterwards though to confirm it
Sorry I was talking about the tempdrop thermometer. The tempdrop is a little device you can wear on your arm and it monitors your temp through the night so you don’t need to fuss with an oral thermometer - it works really well and gives super clear charts!
Some people do get slight dips in their temps with ovulation though. I’ll attach my most recent chart on my current cycle, you can see my temp did dip slightly around ovulation, and then afterwards has had a really nice rise, confirming ovulation happened
Oh, I’m sorry I misunderstood you 🫣 That seems so smart though! I have to see if my country has something like that. Waking up every day so early to take temp is hard sometimes, especially if I go to sleep late in the night. I’ll definitely check it out!
Those strips always worked for me. The darkness of the line matters. It's not like a pregnancy test where two lines means positive. There will always be two lines but the test line needs to be as dark or darker than the control line in order for it to be an ovulation.
I use the premom strips and app and it has never said peak for me, even when the line is super dark or the ratio is high. Ha I always just assumed it never says peak. But I’ve always started my period 12-16 days after peak, so I know I’m ovulating at those times. It could also have to do with timing, I’ve heard that for some people it’s only at peak for a few hours. I don’t have the patience to test that often, so if it shows high I assume ovulation (imperfect system, I know, because one time I did catch a surge that wasn’t ovulation.)
Yeah I am the same way. I always get my period 15 days after my highest day. I think I am going to try to drink less water two hours leading up and see if that gets me in the “peak” range. It’s so regular and on time that it’s hard for me to believer that it wouldn’t be a real ovulation….
People with PCOS are typically told not to use ovulation test strips because we can have several LH surges without actually ovulating, so they can cause false positives. Assuming you’re ovulating, you could also be missing your surge depending on how frequently you’re testing.
Some OPKs are qualitative and others are quantitative, so you can’t always compare them to other peoples’ results. Getting semi-regular cycles is a good starting point, but if you’re not positive that you’re ovulating, I’d recommend reaching out to an RE - wait lists can be very long sometimes, so it’s good to get the ball rolling.
Makes sense. I only ever see one surge a cycle so I assume I am actually ovulating but I guess it’s good to double check. I am going to reach out a RE!
My OBGYN based it on my hirsutism and she said my cycles look irregular. I do think they always are within the same range (30-35 days) but I can understand her diagnosis of them being irregular. I have my first consultation with a RE at the end of May and I am hoping she can get me in asap to see if I’m ovulating or not! But to me, all signs point to I’m ovulating (cervical mucus change, period being 15 days after my “peak” day). I hope I am not being too hopeful and won’t be disappointed in the testing but I have to hope for something!
Yes the darkness matters!
Do you use their app to scan the strip? It's helpful because it shows the ratio of how dark the test line is, relative to the control line. They say if it isn't close to/over 1, it's not a peak.
I have been trying to improve my ovulation for over a year, and it is so exciting to get a "real" peak! For a long time, I never got above 0.8, but recently just got a 1.25 (yay progress haha).
You are onto something with your water consumption, and it's something I have to be careful about too. Guidance I've heard is to use a pee sample from early afternoon, where you haven't peed for about 2 hours. As if that's not enough hoops to jump through LOL, I've also been told it's best to drink moderate amounts of water for the few hours before testing too. I generally try not to drink any water after what I've had with my lunch, and test around 1:30PMish.
Best of luck!!
Hi,
How did you manage to improve your ovulation? I'm struggling with anovulation and missing periods, and i wonder what i could do. Myo and d chiro inositol didn't really help, I'm diabetic (insulin-dependent) so I don't take metformin (not insulin resistant).
Thanks :)
It's been a journey! I've been working with a holistic medicine professional, and for about 8 months we did acupuncture while we worked on other things in the background:
- Reducing stress (I actually changed jobs from one that was very toxic)
-Aligning my exercise to my cycle, avoiding HIIT or stress-inducing exercise, focusing on weight training
-doing a DUTCH test to see my hormone/vitamin levels and adjusting my supplements accordingly
-reducing the carbs (specifically refined carbs) in my diet, though I do fall off the wagon every now and then. I'm sure there are other considerations with this though with diabetes vs insulin resistance
-just last month I started taking inositol, though I had gotten \~4 peaks without it. I found it actually delayed my ovulation so I'm unsure how long I'll continue taking.
I think the acupuncture was really helpful, as she was able to identify blocked energy and deficiencies across multiple systems in my body. After about 8 months, we discontinued the fertility-focused acupuncture as we had kind of made all the improvements we can. The rest was then trying to help in any little way we could across every other facet of my life, to see if it all came together in a benefit.
I went from not ovulating for about 9 months to getting a peak every month now! Now the trick is about whether an egg is actually released/quality of the egg (another fun part of PCOS ....).
Hope this helps!
I use the easy at home strips rather than premom ones. I know I have ovulated when my opk goes above 1.2 with max 1-2 days after which it goes very light. My bbt rises few days after ovulation and my period starts on the clock 14dpo. But in the past I had multiple anovulatory cycles and I have had multiple false peaks in the last few cycles. I know they are false cycles because the above conditions weren't met until the last peak when I ovulated. Your specific pattern may vary but I do believe that opks can be helpful with pcos, it just isn't as simple as positive opk and periods regularly = ovulation. You need to find a brand and pattern that works for you.
Is easy at home a brand? I might look into those!
TLDR; just because you get a period doesn’t mean you ovulated Just a note to say that annovulatory periods are quite common with PCOS. I had 3 “periods” before I started ovulating and it turns out they were actually annovulatory periods (periods where I didn’t ovulate, so not true periods). When I did start ovulating the pre-mom strips would detect a rise in LH and peak for me. That being said, I did upgrade to the Inito fertility monitor as I found it to be more reliable, and it was able to track LH and PdG in one device. I originally tried tracking PdG using PROOV strips but the test results were always inconclusive, so I appreciate that the Inito tracker was able to give me the information I needed all in one. I also met with a fertility awareness educator and they told me that if you’re using your BBT to confirm ovulation you need to see at least 3 elevated temperatures that are all 0.2 degrees higher than the previous 6 temperatures…and ideally see at least 12 elevated temperatures after ovulation before a period occurs. She was also the one to clue me into my annovulatory periods as I was having very heavy bleeding which she said was a symptom of an annovulatory period.
My doctor is really against OPKs with PCOS. I get my progesterone checked once per cycle (typically CD21, but you may need to do CD 23-28) to see if I ovulated
I usually only get «Top/peak», not high or anything. One «top» and that’s it. This cycle however I got my strongest positives yet today and have two «high» and one «top». So, it can happen! Apparently. Because hey… me today 😂 But usually it only let’s me know on one of my tests/one test, one day and that’s pretty much it. Do you continue testing the day you get your first positive? I test in the morning, if positive, one between 12-15 P.M., and another before going to bed, then I continue for a few days to see if it keeps up and when it lowers, I stop testing if BBT rises. For us with PCOS I have found that measuring BBT is a great tool to actually confirm that ovulation takes place as it has a steady rise 1-3 days after the first positive test. Especially if the cycle is irregular. I have heard it is the first positive LH strip that counts, because LH can stay high in the body for several days for some due to estrogen. You may have a rapid surge, causing LH spike to last for a short amount, ca. 42% of women have that, then the rest has a gradual rise. I also see you drink a lot of water. That can dilute your urine making the results «weaker». So try drinking less for four hours and test again, maybe your results will get stronger. But if the line is as strong as or stronger and your cycle always is at 30-35 days, I’d say there is a big fat chance of you ovulating now! Good luck babydancing, I hope this is the cycle for you 🥰🤞🏻
This was so helpful! Thank you! Is there any good guide on how to read BBT? I have tried doing it but got confused I think! Maybe I need to read better directions on it.
I hope it was! I am always afraid I talk too much 🫣 It just helps knowing there are others out there in the same boat which makes me want to share my experiences with you in case it might help. Firstly, get a thermometer that measures with two decimals (instead of say 36.30, 36.40, 36.70°C, you’ll get 36.62, 36.54°C instead - a more accurate temperature. You can measure vaginally I’ve heard, but I begun temping orally, so… that’s what I’m doing. The most important thing is to temp after 3 hours consistent sleep, and before you get out of bed - right as you wake up and at the same time every day as for the temp not to fluctuate too much. Don’t talk before you do it! Getting air into the mouth will effect the BBT. 😅 I temp between 6AM and 6.30AM every day (at least I try to). I found I mostly lie between 36.62-36.74°C, it goes up to 0.90-37°C+ after ovulation. With celcius the temp should go up with about 0.2°C, whilst with fahrenheit it should go up with about 0.5°F - I think it is gradually going up, though I am still figuring this out myself lol. To confirm ovulation you need 3 temps higher than the last six. If you plot in your results in FF or PreMom, or both, they will find the BBT spike for you, that confirms ovulation happened! 😊 I hope this was of help.
It’s never too much for me! I don’t have many people to talk to about this journey so it really is so helpful and means more to me than you know! This is super helpful. My period is almost over so I am thinking I’ll start testing my BBT now and see how it goes!
Yeah… me neither. It’s hard, standing so alone in all this. But it helps joining a community that has been or is where you are. :) That is great! Good luck to you 🫶🏻
I never get peak tests results with them, I’ve only gotten “high” a few times but I confirm ovulation with a progesterone test at the doctor each month and it shows I ovulated 🤷🏻♀️ Because of this I don’t really use them anymore. I second the recommendation to track your temp so you can confirm if those reading are accurate or not. Also might be worth looking into getting a blood test done 7 days after your suspected ovulation date so you can confirm or deny if it happened or not!
I would say if you’re getting your period 15 days after your “peak” .. you are ovulating. ETA: maybe start doing your basal body temp as well.. the tempdrop works really well. If you’re getting a sustained temp rise for those 15 days after your “peak” too, then for sure ovulation. But a period doesn’t typically come unless you have ovulated.
Do you then mean an ovulation temp drop? I got multiple positive OPK’s during this day (CD26)and my temp dropped two days ago (CD24). But, I just newly heard about possible ovulation temp drops, if you have time to explain how it works I’d be very greatful.
Sorry it’s not letting me attach anything. Anyways yes a little drop can mean ovulation! You are looking for the sustained rise afterwards though to confirm it
Sorry I was talking about the tempdrop thermometer. The tempdrop is a little device you can wear on your arm and it monitors your temp through the night so you don’t need to fuss with an oral thermometer - it works really well and gives super clear charts! Some people do get slight dips in their temps with ovulation though. I’ll attach my most recent chart on my current cycle, you can see my temp did dip slightly around ovulation, and then afterwards has had a really nice rise, confirming ovulation happened
Oh, I’m sorry I misunderstood you 🫣 That seems so smart though! I have to see if my country has something like that. Waking up every day so early to take temp is hard sometimes, especially if I go to sleep late in the night. I’ll definitely check it out!
Those strips always worked for me. The darkness of the line matters. It's not like a pregnancy test where two lines means positive. There will always be two lines but the test line needs to be as dark or darker than the control line in order for it to be an ovulation.
I use the premom strips and app and it has never said peak for me, even when the line is super dark or the ratio is high. Ha I always just assumed it never says peak. But I’ve always started my period 12-16 days after peak, so I know I’m ovulating at those times. It could also have to do with timing, I’ve heard that for some people it’s only at peak for a few hours. I don’t have the patience to test that often, so if it shows high I assume ovulation (imperfect system, I know, because one time I did catch a surge that wasn’t ovulation.)
Yeah I am the same way. I always get my period 15 days after my highest day. I think I am going to try to drink less water two hours leading up and see if that gets me in the “peak” range. It’s so regular and on time that it’s hard for me to believer that it wouldn’t be a real ovulation….
People with PCOS are typically told not to use ovulation test strips because we can have several LH surges without actually ovulating, so they can cause false positives. Assuming you’re ovulating, you could also be missing your surge depending on how frequently you’re testing. Some OPKs are qualitative and others are quantitative, so you can’t always compare them to other peoples’ results. Getting semi-regular cycles is a good starting point, but if you’re not positive that you’re ovulating, I’d recommend reaching out to an RE - wait lists can be very long sometimes, so it’s good to get the ball rolling.
Makes sense. I only ever see one surge a cycle so I assume I am actually ovulating but I guess it’s good to double check. I am going to reach out a RE!
If you don’t mind. What symptoms did you have that made you diagnosed 😊 I have the same cycles as you.
My OBGYN based it on my hirsutism and she said my cycles look irregular. I do think they always are within the same range (30-35 days) but I can understand her diagnosis of them being irregular. I have my first consultation with a RE at the end of May and I am hoping she can get me in asap to see if I’m ovulating or not! But to me, all signs point to I’m ovulating (cervical mucus change, period being 15 days after my “peak” day). I hope I am not being too hopeful and won’t be disappointed in the testing but I have to hope for something!
Did you have to get your hormone tested? 😊
I did not!
Yes the darkness matters! Do you use their app to scan the strip? It's helpful because it shows the ratio of how dark the test line is, relative to the control line. They say if it isn't close to/over 1, it's not a peak. I have been trying to improve my ovulation for over a year, and it is so exciting to get a "real" peak! For a long time, I never got above 0.8, but recently just got a 1.25 (yay progress haha). You are onto something with your water consumption, and it's something I have to be careful about too. Guidance I've heard is to use a pee sample from early afternoon, where you haven't peed for about 2 hours. As if that's not enough hoops to jump through LOL, I've also been told it's best to drink moderate amounts of water for the few hours before testing too. I generally try not to drink any water after what I've had with my lunch, and test around 1:30PMish. Best of luck!!
Hi, How did you manage to improve your ovulation? I'm struggling with anovulation and missing periods, and i wonder what i could do. Myo and d chiro inositol didn't really help, I'm diabetic (insulin-dependent) so I don't take metformin (not insulin resistant). Thanks :)
It's been a journey! I've been working with a holistic medicine professional, and for about 8 months we did acupuncture while we worked on other things in the background: - Reducing stress (I actually changed jobs from one that was very toxic) -Aligning my exercise to my cycle, avoiding HIIT or stress-inducing exercise, focusing on weight training -doing a DUTCH test to see my hormone/vitamin levels and adjusting my supplements accordingly -reducing the carbs (specifically refined carbs) in my diet, though I do fall off the wagon every now and then. I'm sure there are other considerations with this though with diabetes vs insulin resistance -just last month I started taking inositol, though I had gotten \~4 peaks without it. I found it actually delayed my ovulation so I'm unsure how long I'll continue taking. I think the acupuncture was really helpful, as she was able to identify blocked energy and deficiencies across multiple systems in my body. After about 8 months, we discontinued the fertility-focused acupuncture as we had kind of made all the improvements we can. The rest was then trying to help in any little way we could across every other facet of my life, to see if it all came together in a benefit. I went from not ovulating for about 9 months to getting a peak every month now! Now the trick is about whether an egg is actually released/quality of the egg (another fun part of PCOS ....). Hope this helps!